Uber, Airbnb, and Others May Soon Accept Bitcoin

Customers may soon be able to use bitcoin for a variety of web services if a new deal involving an Ebay-owned payment processor goes through.

Bitcoin fans, rejoice. A new deal between a Paypal subsidiary and digital currency companies may soon allow customers to pay for Uber, Airbnb, Opentable, and other services with digital currency.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Braintree, a payment processor Ebay acquired last year, is in negotiations with businesses like Coinbase that allow consumers to store, buy, and send bitcoin, a digital currency that can be either “mined” using computing power or purchased with dollars. Braintree is currently part of Ebay’s Paypal unit. If these negotiations are successful, Braintree’s clients would be able to accept bitcoin payments.

If Braintree does enable clients to start taking bitcoin, they would not be the first to do so. Overstock.com was the first large company to accept bitocoin payments; and Dell, technology retailer Newegg, and satellite TV provider Dish Network, have all followed suit. Most of these services have also partnered with Coinbase.

While the currency has seen increased adoption, not all developments have been positive. In July, New York’s Department of Financial Services proposed new rules for virtual currency businesses that sought to reduce illegal activity—which bitcoin has previously facilitated—and increase consumer protections for the currency’s users. While some have lauded the rules as an important first step toward making bitcoin a viable currency, other bitcoin advocates slammed the regulations for eliminating bitcoin’s anonymity and their arduous requirements on certain businesses.

Bitcoin has also not fared well in terms of price. After the value of one bitcoin (BTC) peaked at over $1,100 in late 2013, its price has come crashing back to earth. As of today, one BTC is worth $512; down from $747 at the beginning of this year.

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